Once Upon a Dream
by Ellie101
Summary: WIP Chapter 5 is up- Sorry for the wait... Ginny and Harry cast a spell and now they're in one of Ginny's dreams... They had no idea what they were in for. Okay, HARRY had no idea.
1. Musings

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"Once Upon a Dream"

By Ellie

A/N~ This is my first foray into the HP Universe…. I've been reading it for quite a while… but as I said, this is a first for me! =) I have a lot on my plate in regards to stories, so I'm going to try and keep this from becoming too long- I want to write a story not an epic. (Let's hope I succeed!) 

I'd really appreciate your views on my ramblings- so please, PLEASE review! =)

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Disclaimer: The wonderful world of Harry Potter is owned solely by J.K. Rowlings. And even if I WERE presumptuous enough to claim it as my own- none of you would believe me! 

Chapter One

"Musings"

Ginny stared solemnly out of the common room window. The clouds were casting half of the bright full moon in shadow, but the dark shapes of people on broomsticks were still clearly visible against the darkening sky. She longed to be out there with them- in particular with him. Sighing, she relaxed her grip on the handful of velvet curtain she was holding, and slowly allowed it to slide back into place. Now if anyone were to peer into the still common room, all they would see would be a red-haired girl gazing wistfully at a large covered window. 

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Better gazing wistfully at the curtain than at HIM. The self-condemning thought led Ginny to remember all of the countless things that she had done to ensure that everyone, even Harry, would know exactly how she felt about him. 

Blood gathered in her cheeks as she recalled one of her most embarrassing moments at Hogwarts. The singing valentine.

She had spent weeks agonizing over what to say… What was special enough to make him realize how wonderful he was, and what was too much? Most of her earlier works were filled with admiration or harped on how devoted she was to him. But then she decided that her feelings were probably too intense and decided to keep the poem a little more general…. A little more distanced from her own opinions. After all, she didn't want to scare him off! 

Ginny let out a mirthless chuckle that reverberated throughout the common room, and then returning to drift off and continue dissecting memories. 

The truth was- she had another reason for not wanting Harry to know about the depth of her emotion… It scared her to death.

The second that she had seen him, that first day, boarding the Hogwarts Express, she had known that he was the one- the boy that would change everything for her. He would show her that not all boys were as disgusting as her brothers. He would romance her; sweep her off of her feet…

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To bad that Fate chose to do a LITERAL translation…

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"Oomph!" The pain in her side flared uncomfortably before settling into a type of dull ache.

"Ginny! I'm so sorry… here, let me, um… get those for you!" 

Ginny was still so disoriented from the impact of another person smacking into her, that it took her watering eyes several crucial seconds before she could realize that the black and scarlet blur in front of her was none other than the famous Harry Potter. The boy she had fallen for directly after looking into his mesmerizing green eyes. The boy with an uncertain past, and even more uncertain future.

"Harry!? Oh, uh, don't bother, It's fine!"

Straightening with all of Ginny's dropped papers piled haphazardly in his hands; he looked into her stricken and flushed face before speaking. "Well I was the reason that you dropped all of them, it'd be pretty rude if I didn't at least give you a hand."

All the blood in Ginny's body seemed intent on staying firmly planted in her cheeks but she tried to ignore it as she answered ruefully, "Thanks." 

Ginny was looking directly into those green eyes now, and then she realized that he hadn't made any moves to leave. After several uncomfortable encounters during first and second year, she was finally able to look at him head on without anyone sniggering or making kissing noises. She was talking to him and he was still there!

"Well, well," a cold voice began, "If it isn't Potter and his little admirer, how touching really."

"Shove it, Malfoy!" was Harry's instantaneous reply.

The icy features of Draco Malfoy were illuminated as he stepped out of a classroom. "No need to get defensive Potter, I was just stating facts… Wasn't I Weasley?" 

Humiliation swept through her and she valiantly tried to hide any noticeable reactions to his words. Remember that if you let him know that he's struck a nerve he'll be sure to do it again! 

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"That's what I thought." He said snidely before turning to leave.

"God Malfoy, do you always have to be such a prat?!?" Harry demanded, with his hands clenched tightly on Ginny's papers. He was either trying to refrain from grabbing his wand and hexing Malfoy, or physically hitting him. Perhaps both.

"Standing up for your little girlfriend Potter? Well then you shouldn't mind being a little closer to her then, should you?"

A set of hands shoved into her back and suddenly Ginny was being propelled towards a very surprised Harry. Flinching- she flung her arms outwards and closed her eyes, bracing herself for an inevitable impact with the cold stones of the hall.

When the impact didn't come, she realized why. Hands were supporting her; one under her arm and one wrapped around her waist. And her face was currently pressed up against warm cotton where she could hear a heartbeat. Good thing he has those Seeker reflexes or I'd probably be a lovely smear on the floor right now!

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"Malfoy is such a stupid prat! Don't worry- he's gone… Probably off to tell everyone who'll listen what a big bad Slytherin he is…" Harry trailed off, and Ginny could feel his angry sigh against her cheek. 

Ginny was thinking dreamily of how utterly nice it was to be held in his arms. Well his arms ARE around me -holding me up- even if it's not for romantic purposes.

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The rumble of a throat clearing uncomfortably keyed Ginny in to their awkward position. "Er, Ginny…" The words were coming from above her head and his breath stirred errant strands of hair and caused Ginny to shiver. Which in effect, resulted in her rubbing her face across Harry's chest…

Mortified, Ginny did her best to spring apart from Harry, but he hadn't been anticipating the sudden movement and instead of getting away from him- she ended up dragging him down into her.

Once they had finally managed to disentangle themselves with a minimum number of apologies and blushes, the sound of footsteps started in their direction. Strangely elated at the rueful expression Harry shot at her, Ginny's mouth began to lift slightly in a secretive little grin. Their eyes told each other- "I won't tell if YOU won't" and then they were both smiling. This fragile bond was shattered when Ron's voice suddenly called from around the corner, "Oi! Harry! Where've you gone off to?!" 

"I'm coming!" Harry called back. With a swift nod to Ginny, he walked quickly over to the end of the hall and met up with her brother. 

Stooping slowly, she retrieved her fallen papers.

Smiling at the memory, Ginny curled up on a plump maroon and gold armchair. _Well, THAT memory had some nice aspects… _

"I'm so pathetic! I've had this insane crush on him for YEARS! He's not interested! Why can't I just let go?!?" The words streamed from her mouth before she could consider the consequences. Luckily, no one was around to overhear. The muscles in her back that had stiffened as she realized the dangerously embarrassing risks of shouting aloud slowly relaxed until she once again lounged in the chair.

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It's deeper than a crush. You love him and you always have.

Ginny wanted to argue- she wanted to deny it- but the little voice that whispered to her was from her own subconscious and worse yet- it was telling the truth. 

True, when she first saw him all she could see was 'Harry Potter- the Boy-Who-Lived'. But it didn't take long before everything about him started to have an impact on her- his quiet, controlled voice. The sadness that lurked behind his eyes whenever someone mentioned parents. Harry was so much more then 'The Boy-Who-Lived', he was a boy burdened with expectations that weighed down on him from every angle. She wanted to help him so much- she wanted to tell him that she understood… that she… knew him. In a way that even he wasn't entirely aware of. 

So she waited for the chance to show him. She was always waiting.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE~ I'm about to break something. For some reason- no matter what I do, or how hard I try to remember how to fix it- Fanfiction.net isn't uploading my story with the appropriate parts centered. It's driving me crazy and if any of you have any helpful hints I'll love you forever!

ON ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE~ I desperately need a Beta-reader! If you're interested in just working with this story then that would be awesome, but just in case someone out there would be interested in working with a little *MORE* I'll list what I've dabbled in so far: Labyrinth, Gilmore Girls, and now- Harry Potter. 

It's a small list, I know, but maybe someone out there will read this and realize that they are FATED to be my Beta. (crossing fingers)

Hopefully there are some takers- I could certainly use the help! =) If you are interested then please send me an email mentioning the term "Beta-Reader" SOMEWHERE in the subject- I'd hate to accidentally erase my potential best friends! =(

And please, PLEASE, review….

I all ready have the second chapter ready to be posted… All I need is some encouragement… HINT, HINT! =)

Thanks Everyone!

~Ellie


	2. Dreaming

Chapter Two

"Dreaming"

The fire was dwindling when she heard them stomp in, giggling and sharing jokes, or recounting their Quidditch feats. She had a few scant moments before they burst in on her. She grasped her wand and whispered quietly, "Accio book!" The book on "Dream Spells" that she had left sitting on the table across from her, zoomed silently into her hands. Opening it demurely, she plastered a look of concentration on her face.

"Hey Ginny! What're you doing up so late?" Ron's boisterous voice boomed at her from her elbow. Looking up, she raised an eyebrow sardonically before answering, "So if I'm not on a broom with various balls being slammed about I've no excuse for being awake late at night? Never mind, don't answer that."

Ron's eyes began to take on a familiar sparkle, just as they always did when anyone mentioned Quidditch. "It's not often that the teachers let us have night practices… If Harry hadn't brought up the fact that practicing in the dark could be beneficial to us during games when it's hard to see, we probably NEVER could have done it! Besides, the game lights were turned on low after it got really dark so it's not like we were flying blind!"

Hermione leaned over Ginny's armrest and whispered confidentially, "It's quite like him to entirely miss the point isn't it?" Giggling, Ginny took in Hermione's rosy cheeks and wide smile. "Did you get in a little playing yourself Hermione?" She asked innocently, knowing the phrase held a double meaning that Hermione was sure to understand even if a certain brother couldn't.

Ron slung his arm around Hermione's shoulder, "Yep, we had her up there dodging bludgers like a regular!"

"Honestly Ron!" Hermione rolled her eyes, but her smile seemed to brighten several watts. It was obvious to everyone but Ron that the reason behind Hermione's giddiness was that casual show of affection. Her brother was so dense sometimes. Looking at the completely oblivious look in Ron's light brown eyes, she amended herself silently. _Ok. MOST of the time._

Shaking her head slightly, she returned her attention to her book.

"Are you interested in Dreamwork?" His deep, clear voice was alarmingly close to her ear. Enough that alarm bells were being set off in her brain, and her palms began to heat up.

Shrugging nonchalantly, she responded honestly, "I don't really know. It's pretty fascinating, but I've never had a really complex dream like this." She gestured at the page she had been scanning.

Harry leaned down next to her and read the title aloud, "Recreating Dreams. You begin this spell by saying the incantation listed below and then thinking hard about a particularly detailed dream. If done correctly, you should not only be able to see your dreams but the parts of importance will shimmer gold. You must take note of these objects or events to look up in the 'Dream Dictionary' once the dream sequence is completed."

His breath was warm and tingly against her exposed neck and shoulder. _Don't blush!! Don't you DARE blush! _"Hmmm, that sort of reminds me of Dumbledore's Pensieve... Do you mind if I have a look at this?"

"No, not at all." She handed the book to him, expecting that he was going to accept it and leave… So it surprised her entirely when he instead sat on the armrest and began to thumb through her book right there.

Ginny was aware of their close proximity, and also of the fact that everyone else in Gryffindor had already gone up to bed- leaving she and Harry quite alone. 

"This one looks interesting." He began, pointing to a page near the back of the book. 

"I don't think I've gotten that far," She admitted while craning her neck to see the page he was referring to. He bent down so that she could see better, but it must have been uncomfortable because he sat up again with a sigh and then began to look around the room searchingly. "Harry?" she began.

He stood up, "Let's sit on the couch, there's more room over there." He walked over to it and plopped down, leaving space on his right side. Leaving space, for HER.

Ginny got up and stretched her stiff muscles. After sighing contentedly and giving a little "Mmm." of satisfaction once they relaxed, she realized that her actions were being observed. Grinning sheepishly at Harry's steady gaze, she walked over to the couch and sat down. 

She could feel the heat of his body like a line of warmth all down her left side. So, understandably her attention was quite divided until she realized that he was waiting to see what she thought of the spell that had caught his attention.

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Dream Visiting. It is quite possible, among two willing parties, to enter the dreams of another. Trust is key in this spell, because the traveler must put their absolute faith in the one leading the spell. If there is any disruption then both of the people attempting the spell can be seriously harmed.

To go into a specific dream, the dreamer (Or person bringing the visitor into their dreams) must say the incantation: "Dreamis Interius" and hold onto the person you wish to take with you firmly. (It is recommended that you hold hands, this forms a stronger anchor with your partner.) Remember that while it will feel like you are really going into another place entirely, you are in fact, going into the spellcaster's subconscious. Holding firmly to the visitor will ensure that they are not lost within the spellcaster's dreams or memories. Your bodies will be where you left them- only your minds will be affected. You must ensure that when you begin this spell, your bodies are either in a safe place or inside a diamond of protection. Otherwise you will be left utterly helpless.

Ginny's eyes widened. "That's definitely interesting… I wonder if any of the Professors will be teaching that one… Oh wait. It said that you had to have complete trust in each other AND have no interruptions. That's a "No" then- it'd be a disaster waiting to happen." She let out a tiny sigh of disappointment. "Oh well, I can still try it out and tell you how it goes… Maybe Hermione will be up to it tomorrow." 

Ginny had been staring into the distance with her brows furrowed, trying to think of when she and Hermione would be able to make time to do such a delicate spell, when Harry touched her on the shoulder. Deliberately.

Her head snapped to face him, and she was horrified that he'd have a glazed look in his eyes, like Colin Creevy did whenever she started to sit in silence for too long and he was about to politely leave.

But no, Harry had a mischievous twinkle in his bright eyes followed by a slight smile before he spoke, "I figured that you and I could do it. In case you hadn't noticed everyone's been upstairs for ages… so I don't think we'd be interrupted. Plus it's only during the actual spell that we would have to worry about interruptions, once it's cast it wouldn't matter if someone came down. And we wouldn't have to bother with any protection spells because Hogwarts is the safest place you could ever be… Well, at least for NOW." The last was said with a smile, though it looked a little forced, and his expression took on the shadow of painful memory. Harry's past experiences would always be with him- that was the price of seeing so much darkness… it never completely left.

Ginny was in a state of shock. Harry wanted try out a spell with HER? _But why? He has Ron and Hermione if he really does want to try out the spell… Even if we ARE alone, why would he want to do this with me?_

The twinkle in his eyes slowly dulled, but the smile remained fixed in place. She realized that she had taken too long to respond when he quickly said, "Of course it's fine if you don't want to do it… It was just a thought."

"No! I want to!" burst from her lips and she mentally berated herself for sounding so eager. Harry didn't seem to mind.

"Okay, well whose dream do you want to go into?" The question meant more than one would think, but Ginny understood that. Harry's 'dreams' were usually nightmares of Voldemort, or what memories he had (thanks to dementors) of his parents' deaths. 

"Let's go into mine."

"Okay, sure." The relief in his voice may not have been evident to anyone else- but it was apparent to Ginny, and it made her feel a certain protective happiness that she was the one to cause it.

Staring down at the book, she held her wand in her right hand and began to re-read the incantation- her lips moving silently as she repeated it over and over again. 

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Dreamis Interius, Dreamis Interius, Dreamis Inter-

Warm fingers clasped her own in a firm, yet gentle grip. Ginny stared at their linked hands mutely, before looking up at him. He squeezed her hand once and then sat still, his expression unreadable. It was time. She focused on a dream that she had always wanted to recreate. "Dreamis Interius!"

At first nothing happened. Ginny looked over at Harry and was about to apologize and suggest that they try again when she felt a peculiar tug. It wasn't unlike the normal tug that a Portkey doles out before travel, but this time instead of a jerk at the stomach, Ginny felt a strange pull at her mind- her awareness. Now everything was falling away into a rushing black void. Her last comfort was the solidness of Harry's hand against hers. She wasn't alone.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE~ Everything from the first Author's note at the bottom of Chapter 1 applies. So far… no takers :::sniffle:::

But thanks to my THREE reviewers! (It's so strange to all ready have chapters done and waiting to post that I'm not entirely sure when I should update! =) I know the beginning was kinda slow though- so I figured I'd just update any ways.

Darcel (lucias dream)~ Glad you think so… On a side note- things are about to get VERY interesting. =)

Bandy~ Ah thanks! =) (I think your style of 'encouragement' really did the trick!) Hope you like this! =)

Auroa M~ Will do, and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think!

PLEASE REVIEW! *And just as a warning- I'm don't think the next chapter will be updated so quickly… but who knows? Maybe I'll find the time! ;)*

~Ellie


	3. Once Upon a time

Chapter Three

"Once upon a time…"

Ginny was standing on what seemed to be a long road of light, with darkness all around her. She was both amazed and terrified. Looking down, she realized that she could still see her body and that she was wearing the same clothes that she had on before she left. The only difference was that she was letting off a strange silver glow. _I look like Moaning Myrtle in color! _She thought gleefully. _Wait. Someone's supposed to be here too…HARRY! My hand! _Since she couldn't feel anyone holding onto her hand she turned to look at her left in panic. But there he was, silver Harry! And he was still holding her hand even if she couldn't feel it. They smiled reassuringly at each other- both very relieved that the other was present. 

After a couple of seconds Ginny started to notice glittery stars ricocheting around high above them. They were beautiful- swirling around in intricate patterns as if to some unheard music. 

The road of white light seemed to taper off several feet ahead and it occurred to her that neither of them knew what they were supposed to do. "I was thinking of the dream I wanted to visit when we did the spell, do you think I messed up or something?" Anxiety began to gnaw away at Ginny. _Please don't let us be trapped here! What's going on?!?_

Harry didn't seem to be panicking at all; instead he was looking around carefully- like a detective searching for clues. He lifted his left hand and gestured to the end of the road. "I think we need to follow the road." 

Ginny noticed that he had used his left hand, and as they both began to walk cautiously up the strange road, she asked him, "Can you feel your right hand at all? It feels like my left has just vanished or something."

"Yeah, it's completely numb… like permanent frostbite or something- but every once in a while I can feel… I don't know- the impression that I'm still holding your hand. It' s more like an old memory than anything." 

"Exactly! You know I wonder if it's like that wherever we touch…" Ginny had said it because she was truly curious, and the implications of her question were just setting in when Harry stopped. She immediately stopped too, even though she couldn't have known that he was about to. It was like they were attached to the same body with different brains. _Creepy._

These thoughts were promptly erased when she saw him raise his left hand and reach towards her face. He was still shining with that strange inner light, and Ginny's eyes shut automatically against the brightness. She felt the strangest sensation- like her right cheek was being caressed by sunbeams. Just a tiny bit of warmth if she held VERY still and concentrated on it. Once it stopped she opened her eyes a crack. Harry's hand was back at his side.

"Did you feel that?" He asked. His expression was puzzled, but the look in his eyes was one of warmth and trust.

"Kind of. Did you?"

"A little… Do you think our joined hands feel different because we're holding them in real life?"

"That makes sense…" 

With that agreement, they began walking along the road again. Surprisingly the road continued- climbing upwards gradually until they were within feet of the things that Ginny had thought of as stars. _The road doesn't taper off- it goes upwards… and those glittery things look strange…Not really like stars at all…_

The 'stars' were tiny bubbles of color. Sometimes they would swirl by Ginny or Harry's head and voices could be heard. Each little sparkling bubble was a dream. Harry realized that if he noticed one bubble in particular it would float closer to him and begin to expand enough for pieces of the dream to be viewed. A flash of his own face, caught his attention, before he forced his eyes away. He wouldn't look at any of Ginny's dreams unless she invited him to. To do otherwise would not only be dishonorable, but a breach of trust. 

"I'm pretty sure you have to think of the dream you want to go into now, those bubble things seem to be aware of our thoughts." Harry then noticed that Ginny was a little preoccupied with the fluttering orbs around her.

"Harry! These are amazing!" Her eyes were luminous as she drank in all of the shifting colors of her dreams. 

Harry just nodded and watched her face. She looked so joyous and wondering with the brightness of her dreams casting fragments of colored light all around them. It was like being inside a rainbow.

He saw one bubble- a deep emerald green with gold patches that shined through at intervals- flying swiftly towards Ginny. She turned and looked at him, her brown-amber eyes wide with excitement. "This is it Harry. This is the dream I want you to see!" 

Harry felt excitement course through him. Ginny looked as if she were concentrating all her attention on the bubble of green light, and he saw that it was getting steadily bigger. Realizing what she was trying to do, he added his own conviction to hers, and between the two of them, the bubble grew large enough for both Harry and Ginny to comfortably enter the large sphere. Taking a deep breath, as one, they stepped through the glistening emerald surface

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A/N~ Thanks to my reviewers!

AngelsDaughter~ I'm glad you're enjoying it… it's nice to know that you like it so far. (It does get better…at least in MY opinion! =)…)

Domino84~ I'm REALLY glad you're interested! =) And it's only going to get better…. =)

Starwest45~ Unfortunately- I felt compelled to write this chapter against my better judgement (I WAS planning on a teeny-tiny ficlet, but apparently it wasn't meant to be!) And the REAL dream is yet to come…. But hopefully you DID find this an interesting way to build up to it! =)

Noelle~ Hopefully you'll continue to feel that way! =) Thanks for the review!

Alisa/ Molto Bella~ Ahhh! Thank you! =) Hopefully you will continue to like this!

Punkin~ Well, here you go- glad you think so! (Sorry- didn't realize that rhymed until it was already typed! =)…)

You guys ROCK!!!!

Oh, and I have had ONE Beta offer. Unfortunately she didn't get in touch with me and I wasn't about to wait around forever! The next chapter IS typed up and ready to go… I can probably get it up this week- if fanfic.net doesn't have any more problems. HOWEVER (And this is NOT a threat- I WILL post any ways!) I'd prefer to have someone read over it and search for all of the little errors I always end up leaving on my fics.

So PLEASE contact me!!!! I've dabbled with Gilmore Girls, Labyrinth, and now- Harry Potter fics. (I just keep hoping that someone out there will read this and suddenly realize that they were DESTINED to be my Beta!!!) Right now though- I mainly want to get THIS fic all nice and beta-d up.

EMAIL~ Moonlitdreams49@yahoo.com** DON'T BE SHY PEOPLE!!!! =)**

And PLEASE review, I'd really like to know what you think…. 

DISCLAIMER~ Go look at Chapter 1, if THAT doesn't clear things up with you then I suggest that you go to some dark corner of whatever room you're currently in and think really, REALLY hard about what you've done wrong. ;)


	4. There lay an Enchanted Forest

**The unthinkable has happened! I was approached by a Beta-Reader! =) Virtual hugs and balloons to LT7 for being kind enough to offer… AND extremely prompt. =)**

(LT7 has stories posted at this site under the name "Lord Tiger VII") ;)

Chapter Four

"There lay an Enchanted Forest…"

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A/N~ If you haven't already noticed, Italics are used in this story to show Ginny's thoughts… 

Ginny opened her eyes upon the most beautiful place she had ever seen… for the second time. The forest was a medley of plant-life; ranging from greens so dark that they seemed almost black, to a green so pale it looked like tinged white. Strange trees with orange colored trunks were scattered amid trees that could pass as normal in the "Real World". 

Bushes with fragrant purple blooms thrived together, creating a spongy wall that surrounded the pair, and caused the slight breeze that assailed Ginny's nose to smell sweet and heady. 

Flowers were in abundance in this forest, and they varied from every shade of color known to man and to a few that probably weren't. A warm glowing feeling accompanied the slight squeeze from Harry's fingertips as he gazed around in silent appreciation. But silence doesn't last long, especially in a place like the one they were in then- a dreamland in every sense of the phrase. 

"Ginny… This is amazing!" Harry exclaimed as a flower unfurled in front of him and a small fairy emerged and fluttered towards them. It landed on Harry's outstretched palm and gave off little giggles that were reminiscent of crystalline bells. Waving a tiny hand; it flew away- leaving what appeared to be gold glitter on Harry's skin. Smiling sardonically, Harry raised the hand in question. "Fairy dust? Someone's been watching a little too much Peter Pan."

Ginny rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her pleased smile from Harry. Still trying to appear indignant, she pulled her hand out of his and playfully turned her back on him. "Well it just so happens that Dad got his hands on a Muggle entertainment system when I was about five, and the only tape we had to play was Peter Pan. I watched it all the time- but that was before Fred and George stuffed the VCR full of **Billy's Bouncing Putty**and Mum made us get rid of it." 

Harry began to laugh at the mental picture of Fred and George at ten years old and all ready wrecking havoc. Ginny glanced coyly over her shoulder at him; "Oh you think that's funny? Well maybe I should remind you about a certain exploding shoe you've always had questions about…"

"Fred and George?!?" His eyebrows furrowed as he started to piece together the events of the previous summer that had lead up to the moment when his shoe had started to let off pink smoke and then spark like a firecracker before exploding into tiny pieces of black leather.

As realization dawned for her companion, Ginny added conspiratorially, "Got to test the products you know…"

Harry laughed again, and looked directly into her eyes. Time seemed to slow, and Ginny could feel the smile that was lingering on her lips disappear entirely as she lost herself in eyes as green as the forest around them. A strange rustling noise filtered through her dazed state. 

Her eyes were already swinging around as she sought out the place the sound was coming from. It was very unusual- like the sound of many different chimes being caught in the wind and striking against each other roughly.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what happened next. "Of course!" She mumbled as a radiant smile broke out across her face. "Are you familiar with Muggle "Fairytales" Harry? In particular, the one about the "Twelve Dancing Princesses"?" 

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, actually I am. Aunt Petunia made me read Dudley to sleep once I learned how."

This interesting little bit of the horrors that Harry had endured living with those awful Muggles distracted Ginny momentarily. Or maybe it was the image of such a large, bully falling asleep to fairytales. Shaking her head clear of puzzling thoughts, Ginny continued, "Well, that particular fairytale wasn't *entirely* based on fiction-"

Harry couldn't stop himself from interrupting… "You're kidding! Some nut actually made those girls dance their shoes to pieces?"

Grimacing, and wiggling her toes thankfully, Ginny continued. "No, not THAT part… most of it was just illusion- the whole dancing and princes bit was at least. The part that was *real* was the garden. The reason their shoes were torn up was because the spell that powered the illusion was a pretty nasty one- as long as they were in the garden they couldn't stop moving."

"Ouch."

"Exactly! I think it was the youngest princess that cast it… She was more than a little jealous of her older sisters and from what I read- they weren't exactly the nicest bunch any ways." Ginny began to trail off- obviously thinking about details surrounding the story she was telling, when Harry broke in again. "Okay, so the forest was real. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Are you kidding me?! That's only the most important part of the ENTIRE story- I thought you said that you remembered it!"

Harry just grinned slyly, "It was quite a while ago- you'll just have to excuse me if I only remember the basics."

Sighing resignedly and mumbling about "Boys", Ginny continued, "The forest was made up of three types of tree- each changing as you got closer and closer to the glade in the middle where the princesses met up with their princes and partied-"

"Partied?"

"Oh, hush! One was of solid gold trees, one was of silver, and one was of diamonds. The price with the invisibility cloak snapped off a piece of each tree to prove to the king that he had followed his daughters." **(A/N Well the story changes but there are always three types of precious metals or gems- so for the sake of my tale don't be indignant if these aren't the ones you remember… Thanks!)**

Harry scoffed aloud at the description, "Sounds like one valuable forest!"

"It is. Right now it's owned by the founder of the **_Magical Entities Unlocked Foundation_**- Gilma Gold."

"I'm going to assume that the reason her last name's "Gold" is because she has quite a bit of it." Harry drawled.

Ginny giggled, "You assumed right… She's one of the richest witches in the entire world… One of her ancestors actually MADE the forest."

"What about the illusion?"

Ginny grinned mischievously, "Once the forest was created it became it's own entity- and it decided that it wanted a little attention…."

"So it lured in the youngest princess and planted an idea in her impressionable young mind." Harry finished.

Satisfied, Ginny nodded. "Got it in one."

"And this forest matters to us because…" He looked expectantly at Ginny as he let the curiosity in his sentence linger.

Ginny grabbed him by the hand and began to drag him towards the chime-like sounds. 

__

Honestly! I think ALL boys are dense! Let's see… It should be through that clearing- Ah yes! The sound's getting louder… Here we are!

The gold of the trees shimmered brightly against their half-closed lids. 

"Ah- I see."

"Somehow I don't think you do…" Ginny began as she recalled some of the other things that would make an appearance in this dream. Smiling secretively she looked at the black-haired boy by her side.

"I have the strangest feeling you will soon enough."

"What?!?" Harry called, trying to talk over the cacophony of chiming sounds the branches made when they struck each other.

"We have to keep walking!!" She shouted back. And just in case he didn't quite understand- she gave a firm tug on his hand and began to lead him through the maze of glimmering gold. _Okay, maybe I just wanted an excuse to hold his hand…How's HE to know?_

Harry let Ginny pull him along, and tried not to become too transfixed on what the glints of gold reflecting off the trees were doing to her fiery-colored hair. "Focus Harry!" he whispered to himself, "This is GINNY. You know RON'S little sister?! The same Ron that's going to pummel you the second this dream is over and you get back to the REAL world?!?" 

"WHAT?" She called over her shoulder.

"Nothing!"

She looked at him suspiciously, before smiling and yelling back agreeably, "Okay! Whatever you say!"

So the pair trekked on through a dream that Ginny was only just beginning to remember completely. At least one of them knew what they were in for.

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A/N~ Special thanks (AND complimentary chocolate) to all of my lovely reviewers! =) Thanks for sharing everyone!

Punkin~ I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to email you! I'd love to have you look over my fic! =) I'll try to email you ASAP- I promise! 

I'm glad that you liked the bubbles… I realized after I had written it that part of the "bubble" idea must have been influenced by "Roswell" The books by Melinda Metz… not the TV show. (The books came BEFORE the show! =)…) And thanks for reviewing for each chapter! =) Very nice of you! 

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AmaraDragon~ It may take a while before we get the WHOLE dream…. But here's a teaser! =) -LOL-

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MoltoBella~ :::Chuckling::: Don't we all? =) Eek… Sorry about the nightmares- I've had my fair share as well! (No WAY you've had that one TOO?!?" =) -LOL-

As for Harry… Well at least he won't have to go into a dream with Voldie trying to play hide and kill…Er, SEEK. Ginny's dream is a little *different* though…. Hopefully it won't be to much for him! -LOL-

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Noelle~ I'm really glad that you're enjoying it! =) Pift! Mention smention…. As far as I'M concerned you deserve a gift basket for reviewing! =) Hopefully you'll keep it up!

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Slayerjenn~ Well THAT'S certainly a good thing! Thank you…. And well- at least we got to part of it! =)

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RogueAngel~ Mwa ha ha! See THAT'S why I waited! So reviewers would come out of the woodwork and let me know that this story is actually being READ! =) Actually, it was because I had to wait until Friday before I could get the story from my **new beta reader- LT7 **and on Saturday I was rushing around **ALL** day long. (I kid you not!!!) Sunday was spent trying to catch up on chores, homework, and sleep… So unfortunately I couldn't post! =( 

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BIG FAT Author's Note!

I have 1, I repeat ONE more chapter of previously written story. Which means that after I post chapter 5 I'm going to have to write everything from scratch…. A terrifying thing I assure you!

So everyone that's actually interested in reading PAST chapter 5… well you better start nagging.

I'm not kidding! There are only 3 things that are sure to get me typing away….

1.) I have an essay or some other type of homework to do so naturally I'll try to put it off until last minute… and HEY- there goes a chapter! =) *FYI~ I wrote more than half of chapters 1-5 when I was SUPPOSED to be writing an essay*

2.) I am struck by a sudden burst of inspiration… (I swear- sometimes it's like a semi! ;)…)

3.) My reviewers make me feel guilty…. Or flattered. =) Both of them seem to work pretty well with me! -LOL-

Now I'm not saying that if you don't beg me to continue that I'll just leave this story as is and never look back- I'm just saying that if it's not Option number 3 then it's going to have to be one of the other 2. Unfortunately- I'm afraid the other two are sporadic and unpredictable in their appearances. 

Last AN in a looong list~ This dream sequence is what's going to make up a large chunk of the story… once the dream sequence is up there will be 1 to 2 more chapters and then it's over. DONE. FINISHED.

Yeah. Thought you ought to know. ;)

EVERYONE PLEASE REVIEW!!!! 

~Ellie


	5. And beyond it, a green glade

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A/N~ The italics are Ginny's thoughts- the BOLD ITALICS are Harry's. =)

Chapter Five

"And beyond it, a green glade…"

They had made it passed the gold trees without any problems and were now entering the silver trees. _Of course nothing DOES happen until after we pass the diamond ones… Perhaps I should warn Harry…_ Looking over at the distant look in Harry's normally alert eyes, she allowed a tiny pinprick of annoyance to stab through her. _The least he could do is pay a *little* attention to me! I am his- er- host…kind of. Humph! Well if he's going to be all distant I don't suppose I HAVE to tell him what's going to happen… It's not really DANGEROUS, more of a nice series of surprises! At least he won't ignore me then! _

What Ginny couldn't have known was that Harry was doing more than 'paying a little attention to her' he was OBSESSING about her- **_Funny I never really noticed all those cute little freckles on her nose. Her nose is really cute too- it's so tiny. STOP HARRY. Control yourself! It's not like you've never seen a girl before! Think of Cho… that always used to keep you preoccupied before! Dark black hair with brownish highlights… Can't really be classified as highlights really, I mean look at Ginny's hair- It's that pretty auburn-red color- but in the light there are all of those streaks of gold, copper, and those dark burgundy strands… It's so soft looking, I wonder what it feels like… Whoa! WHOA! Stop looking at Ginny's hair you prat! In fact… stop looking at Ginny! Think of Cho! Think of chess! Think of ANYTHING but Ginny! Chess. Okay, I'll think about chess. Of course I'm not as good at it as Ron- he beats me every time we play. And Hermione doesn't really like playing against anyone but Ron… (Gee, I wonder why.) It's so funny to see the two of them lock eyes over the chess table. If Ron would just REALLY open his bloody eyes he'd probably notice that Hermione enjoys those little competitive eye locks a little more then the game itself... But maybe he is figuring it out…I could have sworn I saw him get a little miffed when Hermione started talking to Seamus earlier… Funny how different brown eyes look when the person who has them looks mad- All golden amber with little streaks of darker brown along the iris… and they heat up when she's mad like she could fry you where you're standing with one look… SHE? ACK! STOP THINKING OF GINNY AND HER EYES! The eyes that are looking a little heated right now… Gulp._**

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" He asked as politely as he could, trying to figure out as quickly as possible what he did to make her eyes spark so murderously. He noticed immediately that she was no longer holding her hand, and instead had both of them planted on her hips in a gesture of annoyance.

"I've been waiting for five minutes to tell you that we're almost out of the diamond trees and to the middle of the forest" She replied coolly.

Harry looked around… The silver trees that had surrounded him when he began his little mental vacation were long gone, and instead, they were standing along a row of trees that sparkled with the brightness only diamonds could create. The trees themselves looked very similar to the weeping willows back home. The only difference being that the long ropes of leaves that adorned the trees were each made up of sparkling diamonds that formed a sort of glittery vine trailing inches above the forest floor.

"Wow." Was all that he could get muster.

"Yeah, they're beautiful aren't they?" Ginny seemed to have forgotten her earlier displeasure with him and was instead occupied in viewing the brilliant trees in front of them. 

Harry looked over and saw a very distinct expression gracing Ginny's delicate face… One of longing. Apparently, Ginny, like many girls before her, was just as fixated on diamonds as all the other females in the world. **_What's that expression again? 'A diamond is a girls best friend'? I guess it's pretty accurate…. _**

Sighing, and showing obvious reluctance, Ginny turned back around and called for Harry to follow, "I think the forest ends right over here- Come on!" 

But Harry was remembering a certain fairytale, and before he could change his mind he strode up to the diamond tree and snapped off a glittering strand. Stuffing it in his pocket, and trying to ignore the indignant clang of the tree- he muttered an apology to the broken branch and searched his other pocket for something to offer it for barter. 

A small pocket watch bought in Diagon Alley that told the weather was all that he could find that was of value. He winced as he thought of how MUCH value. **_Surely a tree could find knowing the weather helpful… _**"I hope that you'll accept this as a replacement for the branch I took- I'm terribly sorry if I caused you pain." His previous courage deserting him- he gently set the pocket watch against the tree's trunk and tore off after Ginny.**__**

He came to an abrupt halt as his mind tried to process exactly what his eyes were seeing. Ginny was patting a white Pegasus on the head in the middle of a grassy clearing that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Impish amber eyes glanced at him before returning to the Pegasus in front of her. "Took you long enough." She began, "I was beginning to think that you were so caught up in whatever you were thinking about that you had forgotten about me entirely." 

Her words were dry and perhaps a little hurt- But Harry couldn't help but recognize the irony of her statement, and he almost groaned aloud. Luckily for him, he realized quickly enough that if he were to carry out that action it would quite possibly be the last one he would ever make. So, instead, he just told the truth, "I don't think that would be possible Ginny."

The seriousness in his words and the look in his eyes made Ginny believe that he was being completely honest. So, of course, she perked right up. Apparently the Pegasus picked up on her sudden change of mood, because the cheeky creature seemed to wink at Ginny with one sapphire-colored eye right before it turned around and got onto it's knees. 

Flicking her tail, and whinnying, the Pegasus made it quite clear that she was waiting. Ginny knew the drill, after all- she had done this all before. What bothered her was the fact that she could remember how difficult it was to stay seated on the flying horse the FIRST time. When there was just *one* person that needed to stay seated on the Pegasus' back. 

Because of the wings, riders could only hold on by sitting at the very front of the horse- right by the slope of its neck. _How are we supposed to stay on with the TWO of us trying to hold on?!?_ The Pegasus let out another wicker of impatience. "All right, alright! We're coming!" She muttered.

"What exactly do you mean by 'we're coming'?" Harry demanded. Ginny jumped in surprise- he was standing at her elbow. "She's here to take us to the castle." She explained, feeling a little low for not telling him about the rest of the dream ahead of time.

"The CASTLE?!?" He yelped, in disbelief. "Wait. WHAT castle EXACTLY?"

"The one covered in roses…" She admitted hesitantly.

"Now there's a castle covered in roses?! Why can't you have nice normal dreams about talking farm animals or something?" Seeing Ginny's instant grin, Harry cut in before she could say a word, "Never mind, I get the feeling I don't really want to know." 

"Ron and I saw the movie "Doctor Doolittle" once- the images kind of stuck."

Harry responded wryly, "Of COURSE they would have- Stupid of me to think otherwise."

Wide-eyed with innocence, Ginny just smiled angelically as she settled herself on the Pegasus' narrow back. "I don't suppose you've ever heard of "Sleeping Beauty" have you Harry?"

Climbing on after her, and barely getting a grip on Ginny's slender waist before the great animal leapt into the air, Harry's mutter was lost on the whistling wind. "Why do I get the feeling that I'd be better off in a dream with giant snails and talking horses?"

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AN) I apologize for the wait… Things have been pretty crazy lately.

Please review!

~Ellie

PS~ Thanks to all of my previous reviewers! Hugs to all!


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